1. Field of the Invention
In general, the present invention relates to folding tables. More particularly, the present invention relates to folding tables that contain wash stations and can serve as part of a portable kitchen.
2. Prior Art Description
When people camp, tailgate or otherwise cook outside away from their homes, most of the dishes and utensils used to cook and eat the food are disposable. The use of disposable dishes, cups and utensils are preferred because they can be thrown away. Such objects do not need to be washed or carried any farther than the nearest trashcan. If non-disposable objects are used, the non-disposable objects must be either washed or stored and carried home to be washed.
A problem occurs when a person goes camping for a prolonged period of time. Inevitably, certain nondisposable objects, such as pots, pans, spatulas, coffee pots and the like must be cleaned in order to be kept sanitary. In order to clean such objects when camping, cleaning materials must be brought on the camping trip. Cleaning materials, such as soap and sponges, are easily carried. What is more difficult to carry is the facilities needed to hold, wash, rinse and dry the objects being washed. Campers therefore improvise and pack folding tables, water basins and drying racks that can be configured into a makeshift kitchen. Tables, basins and the like, however, take up space. Thus, only minimal amounts of such objects are taken on a camping trip, if they are taken at all. The result is that many campers use a camping kitchen that is small, crowded and difficult to use.
The prior art record is replete with various types of folding tables. Typically, a folding table has legs that fold flat under the tabletop. The tabletop itself may also fold in half in order to save space. Since folding tables are designed to be as compact and lightweight as possible, there is little excess space contained within the folding table once it is folded closed. Therefore, there is no room in the structure of a standard folding table to hold secondary objects, such as water basins. As a result, any camper that is looking to create a camping kitchen must purchase and pack multiple objects. Washbasins are purchased to hold water for washing. A folding table is purchased to support the washbasins. Complementary objects, such as drying racks, storage racks for food, soap and the like are then purchased. All these separate objects must then be packed and transported to the camp site.
Portable kitchen sets, typically referred to as mess sets, do exist and are used extensively by the army and other such military organizations. Such kitchen sets do contain washing facilities, a variety of racks and storage facilities that are collapsible and storable. However, military kitchen sets are designed to support a large number of men. The military kitchen sets, although portable, are large and pack into large heavy crates that are intended to be transported from site to site by trucks. Such military kitchen sets are therefore not practical for campers who need kitchen facilities for only one family or a few campers.
A need therefore exists for a portable camp kitchen that is compact, lightweight, inexpensive and provides useable facilities to prepare, store, wash and dry equipment and provisions. This need is met by the present invention as described and claimed below.